Oh, great! The noble Rutland City Board of Alderman, by virtue of their common “patriotism” refused to condemn the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Evidently, Mr. Donovan doesn't listen to the media that often. It was aired by all the television newscasts about Pelosi spending $75,000 dollars for her trip to California to get her hair cut. She was even pictured with her mask below her chin and claiming the salon had set her up. But, of …
Bernie broke the internet.
Reading this morning's online headline of President Biden attempting to undo Trump's legacy, one can't really undo a legacy — regardless if it was negative.
I would like to thank Sen. Brian Collamore and Laura Vien for their epic volunteer work on the WSYB Christmas Fund again this year. Without this successful effort and this generous community, hundreds of local families struggling through this languishing pandemic would not have had a gift to…
I am reminded of a movie line said by the Jack Nicholson character in the movie “A Few Good Men,” to paraphrase: Trump supporters can’t handle the truth. Why is this? Well, to be blunt, for the last four years, they have been fed a daily diet of lies told by President Donald Trump and his en…
It is such a relief to get rid of Donald Trump, arguably the worst president ever. It's like when your dentist pulls out that painful, abscessed, rotten tooth or when your doctor tells you that you are cancer free. Oh, what a relief it is!
Many years ago, I learned the importance of using person-first language. For a person who lives daily with a physical or mental disability, it is helpful to be seen as a person first. For example, if/when a descriptor is necessary, rather than saying "a wheelchair-bound person," we can easil…
I am a Trump supporter, but I abhor the criminal attack on our Capitol, which cannot be excused by unproven allegations of election fraud. But, like 99% of the 75 million people who voted for him, I am not a white supremacist nor deplorable nor a racist. Also, I believe attacks on federal co…
I was very saddened to learn Montpelier was going to close schools on Inauguration Day over concerns of safety. Trump has created the overwhelming lie that the election was rigged and stolen from him. Trump supporters have been called on to protest at state capitals on Inauguration Day. I do…
I am a Raider. and people think that is offensive to Native-American heritage. Trust me, it is not.
Sen. Brian Collamore was quoted the other day asking for peace and calm after the failed insurrection by Trump supporters/followers/cultists, yet fails to acknowledge the role his business has played in fanning the flames.
Hey, Joe,
Many Republicans are dismissing the latest impeachment of Donald Trump on the grounds that Democrats have opposed him since the start of his presidency.
Our newspaper this past week was largely opinion pieces by various people concerned by the possibility of violent chaos following the recent election. Once again, the idea that people are rioting and threatening due to their side not being heard, or the Democrats "not listening," appeared. W…
Why do some politicians always get reelected? Why do some government officials keep getting hired again and again? It's no deep state secret. We elect these people because familiarity brings trust. Sometimes, this trust can be misplaced. Most often, this trust is not misplaced. So, when the …
This is a response in part to Mr. Lindberg’s commentary appearing in the Herald Jan. 14 editorial page.
We note the recent letter from secretaries of defense commenting there is no role for the military in our elections. At the same time, we note the 60th anniversary of Eisenhower's Military Industrial Complex speech on Jan. 17, 1961. The juxtaposition illuminates an enormous irony.
If you are unhappy then don't ruin it for the rest of U.S. If you are unhappy before a revolution, then you will be unhappy after a revolution.
In reference to Mr. Rinebolt's letter of Jan. 15, why doesn't the Herald fact check letters prior to publication? While I did not fact check Mr. Rinebolt's letter in it's entirety, one item was very prominent. He mentions remembering Ms. Pelosi's $75,000 haircut when, in fact, there is no su…
A quick question for John McClaughry: Have you ever worked for an hour or so at the beach, perhaps with a child or grandchild, building an elaborate sand castle, only to have some kid come along and stomp it apart in 15 seconds? If so, you know how much easier it is to destroy something than…
I truly hope in the days ahead there is no further violence, that cooler heads prevail and we realize we are a nation of diversity, that change is needed in this country but the needed change will not be achieved by violence. I hope those who believe violence is the only answer left, underst…
Thank you, President Buchanan, as voiced by Fred Bagley, for giving us a historical perspective on the state of our country. I can only hope we can do better than have the country torn apart as occurred after the 15th president.
The commentary by Kathryn Adams in a recent Herald (Jan.14) suggests the library board’s proposed relocation of the library to the campus of the former College of St. Joseph is, in fact, a “done deal.”
Nice to hear from former President James Buchanan in the Herald of Jan. 15. He didn’t start the Civil War – South Carolina’s Secession Ordinance did. But he didn’t deal with its issues very well. He’s right that he has led the list of worst presidents since the 19th century.
There’s an activity occurring right now in Vermont, on both private and public lands, that many are unaware of: hounding. Hounding is akin to “dog” fighting; it is lawless and unregulated and those who participate in it have no regard for hunting ethics.
During the period preceding the events of Jan. 6 at the Capitol, right-wing organizations on social media were filing all sorts of exhortations for their followers to overturn the presidential election, to go to D.C. to demonstrate in favor of the president and even to kill some elected offi…
Although it might be pretentious for a white dude, in one of the whitest states in the union, weighing in on Black Lives Matter on the cusp of Black History Month, I think my concern is legitimate. I’m sure I’ll hear about it, in any case. My particular yank concerns Barre City’s questionabl…
There must be plenty of us still alive who remember Dubble Bubble chewing gum. It debuted before World War II, was unavailable for a while after 1942, and came roaring back in 1950. Bubble gum sales reps, just like their yo-yo counterparts, held demonstrations and contests at various stores.…
Editor’s note: Vermont By Degrees is a series of columns written by representatives of colleges and universities from around the state about the challenges facing higher education at this time.
Wednesday, Jan. 6, was a day given over to gleeful violence and purposed havoc. It was a day when Republican complicity bore its inevitable fruit. It was a day when the small man who occupies the seat of Washington and Lincoln, testified again by word and deed that he is as incapable of comp…
In this fraught historical moment of reckoning with the events of the past week, questions are raised about how it is that so many people have been convinced to buy into alternate realities of untruths. To cry “Don’t Tread on Me” when health experts tell us wearing a mask will help prevent t…
The new year couldn’t have come soon enough. We’ve been living through incredibly challenging times: a global pandemic, a contentious election and attacks on democracy, wildfires and hurricanes on steroids due to climate change, a long overdue reckoning on racial justice – and the pandemic’s…
Open letter to Gov. Phil Scott:
Yes, the tirade on the nation's capital was wrong but not entirely. First of all, we know the Washington bureaucrats don't listen to the people. They go where the money is. That is why they are all millionaires.
The proposed relocation of the Rutland Free Library from 10 Court St. to the former College of St. Joseph property has generated a good deal of opposition. The arguments in favor of the move focus on the financial and programmatic benefits of the “new” facility, which will offer library patr…
What a week. And now what a weekend.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the problems in this country. I don't believe we can blame these problems on any one person. Perhaps we have all played a part, and that includes our own elected officials.
I have a question about the insurrection last Wednesday. Why did the police officers on the top steps of the Capitol not draw and use their guns? Imagine the blood bath that would have occurred had the insurrectionists been Black and brown people. This was one of the most blatant examples of…
Your poignant editorial Tuesday prompts me to augment your advice to readers with an important reminder to people older than 50, of the personal health benefits of accepting other points of view, and — as you urged — to act with compassion and empathy to right the wrongs we see, hear and feel.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all we needed to do to “Make America Great Again” would be to throw Donald Trump out of the White House and into an insane asylum? He does need throwing out of the White House before he does any more harm, and he does need treatment for his emotional problems, but…
For weeks now, there has been spirited and constructive dialogue on these oped pages about the fate of the Rutland Free Library at Court and Center Streets. Like others in our community, I was stunned by the news there were plans to move the library. Given this could be a fateful change for …
Rutland deserves a 21st-century library to serve people of all backgrounds. The move to the former College of St. Joseph Library will make that possible. The benefits of the move are numerous, and we can work together as a community to mitigate potential issues.
Conservatives often have a hard time distinguishing between bleeding heart liberals and anyone who is not a conservative. Now is a good time for them to learn the difference.
Like many other Rutland area residents, I, too, love the beauty and history of the current Rutland Free Library building. I have many fond memories there: Reading books with children while their parents participated in classes upstairs; insightful Vermont Humanities lectures; family-friendly…
The awakened and contrite follower — whether Nazi, Communist, Khmer Rouge or Republican — sometimes attempts expiation and proposes future courses of action that he thinks will redeem his party. But, of course, he fails because he does not understand the actions that grieve him spring from d…
As I write this, there’s a national post mortem underway to examine every detail and aspect of the insurrection that occurred in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. Thousands of rioters — encouraged by President Trump — violently stormed the U.S. Capitol. Five Americans are dead and many thousands …
The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights consists of 30 rights and freedoms that belong to every human being. In 1948, after the horror of World War II and the nearly 17 million people mass-murdered by the National Socialist Party (Nazis), concerned world leaders were guided by the est…
I wish to express my thoughts regarding the Rutland Free Library relocation. Concerning issues include location, budget, safety, parking, programming, process, and student use.
When is a brag just an undisguised lie? How about always (with expert deployment). We have in the White House a masterful guy who dispenses true fictions with gleeful enjoyment.
Five Questions With
Just over three months ago we started “Five Questions With ...” to put a human face to this pandemic. Today marks the final installment in this stage of the project, but it will continue with a new set of questions more focused on Vermont’s recovery. Here, Paul Costello, of Montpelier, offer…
Marlee Brunton, of Middlesex, talks about the pandemic and its effects on her family.
Marlee Brunton, of Middlesex, talks about the pandemic and its effects on her family.
Alayna Martel, of Barre Town, is a registered nurse at UVM Medical Center. She talks about how, as a frontline workers, her life has been affected by the pandemic.
Gayle Townsend-Lang, of Rutland, works full time wearing many hats for the Rutland City Public Schools as “Miss Gayle.” Here she talks about how she has been affected by the pandemic.
Stefanie Schaffer, of Rutland, talks about how she has been coping with self-isolation and dealing with the pandemic.
Stefanie Schaffer, of Rutland, talks about how she has been coping with self-isolation and dealing with the pandemic.
Yankee Notebook columnist Willem Lange, of East Montpelier, talks about how he has been affected by self-isolation and the pandemic.
CPA Thomas Lauzon, of Barre, discusses how his life has been affected by the pandemic and self-isolation. Earlier this spring Lauzon was named to the governor’s Economic Mitigation & Recovery Task Force.
Chrispin White, of Rutland, discusses how he has been adapting to self-isolation and how the pandemic has been affecting him.
Christina Sweet, of Rutland, discusses how she and her family have been affected by the pandemic and self-isolation over these months.
Educator and Vermont Mountaineers General Manager Brian Gallagher, of East Montpelier, discusses how the pandemic has affected his life. Earlier this spring, the Mountaineers’ organizers announced they would cancel the 2020 season.
Cat Heatley, of Rutland, talks about how her life has been affected by the pandemic in recent weeks.
Cat Heatley, of Rutland, talks about how her life has been affected by the pandemic in recent weeks.
Salon owner and fitness instructor April Rogers Farnham, of Plainfield, talks about how she has been affected by self-isolation.
Barre Partnership Executive Director Tracie Lewis talks about self-isolation and how the pandemic has been affecting her life.
Montpelier writer Thomas Greene discusses how he has been affected by self-isolation and the pandemic.
Drew Smith, of Rutland, talks about self-isolation and how the pandemic has affected his life.
Jessica Van Orman talks about her experience in self-isolation and how the pandemic has affected her life.
Artist Jen Rondinone, of Rutland, reflects on self-isolation and how the pandemic has affected her and her family.
Mark Breen, the "Eye on the Sky" guy from the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, shares his thoughts in self-isolation and how the pandemic has been affecting his life.
Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe discusses how self-isolation and the pandemic have affected his life.
Executive Director of the Paramount Bruce Bouchard, of Rutland, talks about how his life has been affected by the pandemic and its consequences.
Stay-at-home mom and low-income advocate Roni Lynn Shrout, of Montpelier, discusses how the pandemic has affected her family.
Carrie Allen, of Rutland, explains how she has been coping with self-isolation and what she hopes will come from it after the pandemic is over.
Vermont cartoonist Tim Newcomb provides a bit of levity to his answers about self-isolation and how he is coping.
Recovery Vermont’s Melissa Story, of Montpelier, shares her thoughts on self-isolation and how it has affected her.
Major Jackson is a poet and professor at the University of Vermont. He lives in South Burlington.
Former governor Jim Douglas shared his thoughts on self-isolation.
Danziger: Five Questions With